Since the first reported case in 1981, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome has become a pandemic, & Infectious Diseases. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is caused by the spread of the human immune deficiency virus (HIV). Human Immunodeficiency Virus destroys the body’s immune system so that it can no longer fight infections and cancer. Opportunistic infections that do not harm healthy people strike those with AIDS & become life threatening.

Infections

Often one of the initial signs of AIDS is having an infection that does not respond to medication & refuses to heal. Women usually experience pelvic inflammatory infections that do not respond to treatment. Men & women both get unrelenting yeast infections. They commonly have high fevers that are escorted by cold sweats. As infections progress, lots of patients develop a bad cough or have complexity breathing. They may go through from diarrhea on a regular basis, vomiting, as well as nausea & abdominal cramping. Children develop unrelenting ear infections & come down with more severe instances of other childhood diseases such as pneumonia or tonsillitis.

Fatigue

Fatigue that can’t be alleviated with rest becomes chronic as Human Immunodeficiency Virus worsens & develops into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In the early stages of AIDS, patients become tired and have a constant lack of energy. They lose their hunger & begin to lose large amounts of mass.

Confusion

The initial signs of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome include short-term memory loss & persistent confusion. In addition to complexity with physical development, a premature sign of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in children is delayed mental development, as they may have learning disorders & difficulty controlling their feelings.

Lesions

Lesions come & go during the early stages of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). White & brown lesions in & around the mouth are common. Skin rashes appear frequently & the skin becomes extremely dry. Some patients develop harsh herpes infections around the genitals or mouth. Others present with advanced episodes of shingles. Children with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) typically grow much more leisurely than their peers.

Other signs

Vision loss, seizures & a newly acquired lack of co-ordination can all be early signs of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that continuously swelled lymph nodes for as long as three months at a time are one of the first signs of HIV/AIDS. While the lymphatic system may turn out to be distressed during the early stages of AIDS infection, the condition goes away for 10 years or more until it returns with AIDS.

HIV is only a virus that causes AIDS whereas AIDS is the viral disease cause by HIV. HIV stands for “Human Immunodeficiency Virus” while AIDS stands for “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”. The virus that causes AIDS is a special one because it’s not just a virus but a rep-virus that replicates in a fraction of seconds & attacks the human immune system harshly. The immune system contains biological “fighters” known as antibodies that battle against diseases. The abating of the immune system makes the humans defenseless to opportunistic infections including typhoid. I believe you know what I have just said about HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS is transmitted through the transfer of blood directly or indirectly from an infected person to another person. The use of un-sterilized sharp instruments such as a razor, needle, and hair clipper & injection syringe can cause the spread of HIV/AIDS. Unprotected sexual contact can cause the spread of HIV/AIDS.

A mother suffering from AIDS can transmit to her unborn baby through the umbilical cord which connects the mother & the unborn baby. Blood transfusion can also guide to transmission of HIV/AIDS if the blood transfused is infected with HIV/AIDS. So there are only 4 known ways through which you can come in contact with the virus that causes AIDS. There is no way you can come in contact HIV through having a hand shake with someone that is infected, mosquito bites,  hugging, kissing, & sharing personal things such as clothes with someone who is suffering from HIV.

The only technique you can find out whether you’ve Aids is through having a blood test & should go for blood test from time to time, at-least twice in a year, since the virus has an incubation phase of about 3-6 months. If you’re not yet married asceticism from sexual intercourse is the finest option for you but if you can’t refrain, than you’ve to protect yourself with a condom. Then if you’re married you just have to be truthful to your partner – stick to him or her since he or she has got whatever you’re looking for out there. You have to make certain that you avoid unprotected sexual intercourse, & other ways of getting infected with the disease. I also believe that you know these things I’ve just said about HIV/AIDS.

But there is one thing you do not know about HIV/AIDS. What you do not know is that HIV/AIDS kills slower than the stigma attached to it by various people in our various societies. Yes you heard me correctly. Stigmatization has killed more people living with HIV than the virus or the disease itself. Few people living with HIV/AIDS have been rejected by their families & friends simply for the reason that they tested positive to the virus. Some people living with the virus have lost their work simply because they are living with the virus. I can go & on to tell you what some people have been passing through because of the truth that they are living with HIV/AIDS. A few of them have committed suicide because they thought they couldn’t live to face the shame. More & more people living with HIV/AIDS have died as an outcome of stigmatization or the psychological pain that follows the disease.

You’ve to show love to these people suffering from HIV/AIDS. You’ve to show that their families & friends still need them. You’ve to show them that the society still needs them irrespective of the reality that they are living with HIV/AIDS. You’ve to let these people know that they are not less human because of their health condition. You’ve to let them know that living with HIV/AIDS is not the ending of the world. Let them know that they can still breathe a normal life even if they are living with HIV/AIDS. As a matter of fact, anybody can survive with the virus so we’ve no right to stigmatize anybody because he/she is suffering from AIDS.

Since the disease is not fully curable, HIV infected patients require treatment for their whole life.

This is the reason why infected people want to go for some natural therapy as it has a safety profile associated with it. Some of the Ayurvedic physicians believe that the symptoms shown by an AIDS patient are somewhat similar to that of the disease “Kshaya” or “Oja-Kshaya”. Ayurvedic medicines which are usually preferred in HIV infection are Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Yashtimadhuk (Glycerrhiza glabra), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Mandukparni (Centella asiatica), Bhumiamalaki (Phyllanthus niruri), Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Saariva (Hemidesmus indicus), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Pippali (Piper longum) Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia),  and Chitrak (Plumbago zeylanica). These medicines have properties favorable for controlling the HIV virus like they help in strengthening the immune system and providing energy to keep the cellular metabolism of the body at required levels.

Ayurvedic treatment may not show remarkable improvement in the beginning as it needs time to become effective. It plays an important role in controlling the HIV infection as it drastically reduces the HIV count, facilitates excretion of HIV virus from the body, improve body weight and can even increase the innate immunity of the body. The objective of increasing the life of an individual suffering from AIDS at minimum cost and risk can thus be best achieved by the use of herbal treatment.

HIV infection is characterized by breaking down of the immune system of the body. Since, the fighting system of the body fails, the body becomes vulnerable to many other diseases like tumors and infections.

As the HIV virus count goes on increasing the situation worsens more and more. In early stages, there might not be any symptoms but after few weeks fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and headache may turn up. A person may not show these symptoms for nine to ten years of the infection but after such a long period, the virus becomes critical and symptoms like very high fever, weight loss, acute diarrhea, distorted vision, white spots, unusual lesions on tongue and mouth can be seen.

The HIV virus is contracted through the exposure of the mucous membrane of the blood with the physical fluid infected with HIV, like the seminal fluid, the pre- seminal fluid, blood, vaginal fluid or mother’s milk. It usually happens due to unsafe sex with multiple partners or with someone infected with HIV, transfusion of infected blood in the body, use of infected syringes. So, in case you are doing any of these things, you might be susceptible to the disease. You should not shy off in going for the test as it is good for you only and in case you are tested positive, the treatment can help in controlling the disease. An early start is always good in preventing the condition to worsen quickly.

Still, many people among us do not have the required knowledge against many fatal diseases which cannot be cured but can be avoided through awareness. AIDS, an acronym to Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, is one among them. It is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome or HIV virus. The number of people infected with AIDS is increasing day by day. This disease is till date incurable but if little care is taken, it can be prevented.

How the disease is acquired?

The best way to escape this disease is to prevent the HIV virus from infecting your body. A person can be infected by HIV in three ways:

1. Sexual contact with a person who is HIV positive. It can infect by unprotected sex and having multiple sex partners. If a person is sexually involved with an infected person, chances of virus transmission are high. To avoid this, it is strongly advised to use condoms during sexual intercourse and prevent unwanted transfer of body fluids.
2. Transfer of blood or blood products contaminated with HIV. Blood transfusion during injury or accident can be fatal if infected blood is used. Optimum care should be taken. Disposable syringes and needles should be used. Druggists, who take drug injections, very often use same needle. They are at a greater risk of AIDS infection.
3. Through heredity. If parents had AIDS in their heredity line, then chances of infection to children are high. The virus is also transferred from mother to the baby during conception. When a mother is tested for pregnancy, she must go for an AIDS test. If tested positive, she should take full medical advice to save her baby from infection by her.

These things if given proper attention can prevent the spread of AIDS. A person suffering from AIDS, should be handled very carefully as he needs psychological help and support more than medical help. He should not be dejected from the society. Rather, we should take every possible step to make his life better and happy.